With advancements in technology, earning your degree on your time is possible. From transfer credits to financial aid, you’ll have help from your team of advisors who are with you every step of the way. Of course, it's best to start by speaking with your very own Enrollment Services Advisor, who will guide you through the steps and answer your every question.

Choose an Option Below.

Technology changed the way you deploy, the way you talk to your loved ones, and hear news from home. Every day, innovations connect people across space and time. What if technology connected you to a college degree? It’s possible. You have the technology to bring school to you, wherever you go. That school is Ashford University.

Online Social Science Degree Courses

Benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to social sciences, where the perspectives of different social sciences are combined and applied to real-world issues. Your curriculum includes coursework in history, psychology, and global economics. Your courses in this program are taught by graduate-degreed faculty with experience in the fields they teach.

Below you will find the courses for this program, beginning with the introductory course. You have a choice in this program, either to take a standard program composed of major course requirements, or you may choose to add a specialization. Please note that you must complete the major course requirements' capstone course before you can begin any specialization. Each specialization consists of four (4) courses, each worth three (3) credits.

Introductory Course

All Bachelor’s program students are required to successfully complete EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education as their first course. Students with zero (0) traditional college-level transferable credits are also required to successfully complete the Student Success Orientation prior to enrolling in credit-bearing coursework. Following successful completion of orientation, students are required to successfully complete EXP 105.

Student Success Orientation
The orientation is designed to provide students with a complete overview of the Ashford University experience, prepare them for success in their courses, and help them to self-evaluate their readiness to succeed in an online classroom setting. Students will be instructed on Ashford University policies and the learning resources that are available to them through interactive videos and assessments. Students enrolled in orientation must successfully complete all assigned activities.

EXP 105 Personal Dimensions of Education This course is designed to help adult learners beginning their university studies to achieve academic success. Students will explore learning theories, communication strategies, and personal management skills. Adult learners will develop strategies for achieving success in school and work. Students will also be introduced to the University's institutional outcomes and learning resources. A minimum grade of C- is required to successfully complete the course.

Major Course Requirements

(45 credits, all courses are 3 credits. Courses are listed in the recommended sequence.)

SSC 101 Introduction to Social SciencesThis course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of social sciences and some of the disciplines that comprise this field, including anthropology, sociology, political science and history. These subject areas figure prominently in the Social Science major. In this course, students will learn important social science concepts and theoretical approaches, along with the research methods that social scientists use to study human behavior. Throughout the course and through a summative assignment, students will examine how social factors shape social behavior, and some of the consequences of current social problems.

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology This introductory course presents basic concepts, theories, and research in sociology. Group organization, sex and gender, marriage and the family, sports as a social institution, and collective behavior are among the topics considered.

SOC 402 Contemporary Social Problems & the Workplace This course presents an analysis of major contemporary social problems, especially in the United States. Attention is given to the problems of poverty, racism, sexism, drug and alcohol abuse, and illiteracy, and their impact on the contemporary workplace. Consideration is given to diverse sociological perspectives regarding the causes, consequences, and solutions to these problems.

PSY 301 Social Psychology
Students explore how the thoughts, feelings and behavior of individuals are influenced by other human beings in a variety of social situations. This course also entails a survey and critical analysis of the various methods used by researchers in social psychology. Topics include: social cognition, aggression, prejudice, interpersonal attraction, altruistic behavior, conformity, group influences, and conflict resolution.

SOC 333 Research Methods This course examines quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and associated data interpretation within the context of research, policy and practice within the social sciences. This course also examines the relationship between research, policy and/or theory. Students will examine types of data, measurement scales, hypotheses, sampling, probability, and varied research designs for research in the social sciences and related disciplines.

HIS 206 United States History IIThis course surveys American history from Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is placed on the growing pluralism of American society, the effects of industrialization, the evolution of American political institutions, and the increasing importance of the United States in world affairs.

POL 303 The American Constitution This course is a study of the Constitution of the United States and its role in American history and government. The course covers the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, its subsequent amendment and interpretation, and its contemporary role in American politics and government.

PSY 325 Statistics for the Behavioral & Social Sciences Descriptive and inferential statistics are investigated and multiple techniques for statistical analysis are introduced in this course. Formulas for presenting and evaluating data are explored in accordance with generally accepted protocol for statistical analysis.

POL 310 Environmental Policies Examines political, social, and economic policies and their impact on the global environment. Also explores ways in which policy decisions can serve to protect the environment.

HIS 306 Twentieth-Century Europe The history of Europe since 1900. Emphasis is placed on the changing nature of European society, the confrontation between totalitarianism and democracy, the origins and consequences of the two world wars, and Europe's evolving role in world affairs.

SOC 315 Cross-Cultural Perspectives Culture and politics in Europe, Latin America, the Arab world, India, East Asia, and other areas are examined. Emphasis is on viewing the world from the diverse perspectives of other cultures and political systems. Topics and regions vary.

LIB 320 Global Socioeconomic Perspectives This course is an examination of major socioeconomic developments in different countries including Japan, Germany, Sweden, the United States, and the developing nations. Topics include population, natural resources, energy, sustainable growth, and policies such as privatization and free trade agreements. Social and economic justice in the global economy is considered.

LIB 332 Science & Culture This course explores Western science as a cultural artifact and its impact on other aspects of culture: art, literature, film, music, philosophy, and theology. In addition, the effects of these "other aspects of culture" on the development of science will also be investigated with emphasis on the need to make connections. The course will examine the ways in which scientific developments are articulated in other cultural artifacts.

SOC 490 Social Science Capstone This course requires students to reflect upon and synthesize the major insights gained in their study of the Social Sciences. A substantive paper is developed which requires students to critically analyze their experiences and knowledge in order to build leaders in the interdisciplinary field of Social Science.

Specializations

You may also choose to delve deeper into other areas of social science when you add a specialization to your degree program. A specialization consists of four (4) courses, each worth three (3) credits. These courses are taught online as part of your degree program.

History

HIS 379 The Atlantic World The history of the Atlantic basin from the late fifteenth century through the early nineteenth, including the interactions of Africans, Europeans, and the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the societies their interactions produced. Themes covered include the Columbian exchange, migrations (forced and voluntary), empire-building, strategies of resistance, identity formation, and the transatlantic dimensions of the American and French Revolutions.

HIS 340 Recent American History
This course chronicles and analyzes the profound changes in American life in the period since the Second World War, including changes in the country's political structure, economy, and culture as well as the development of the U.S. role in the international arena. Among the important events and topics covered are the Korean and Vietnam wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis, space exploration, Watergate, the civil rights movement, and the feminist movement.

HIS 342 The Middle East This course is intended to introduce students to the complex history of the Middle East, focusing on the development of the core region in the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the most important topics covered are the origins and nature of Islam, the expansion of the Islamic world, the nature and impact of the region's relationship with Western countries, the impact of the discovery of oil in the region, the causes and course of the Israeli-Arab struggle, the rise of Arab nationalism, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

HIS 331 World War II A study of the causes, course, and consequences of World War II. Topics covered include the war's major campaigns, its impact on the societies of the nations involved, the Holocaust, and the war's influence in shaping the contemporary world. Through readings in various primary and secondary sources, students will also develop an understanding of how historians reconstruct and interpret the past.

Political Science & Government

POL 319 State & Local Government This course examines the structure and processes of state and local governments and their related current problems and issues. There is a focus on the effect of Federalism and its effect on States.

POL 310 Environmental Policies Environmental Policies examines the political, social, and economic implications of environmental policy in the United States and the global environment. It, also, explores ways in which policy decisions can serve to protect the environment.

POL 355 International Relations The course in international relations is the study of relations between different nations of the world with an emphasis on understanding the political implications of international security matters and the international political economy. The topical emphasis on nationalism, diplomacy, conflict, international organizations and actors, human rights, political economy, and key global issues offers insights into the principles of identity, cooperation, and the use of power in an international context.

POL 411 Political Behavior Students will study political behavior as it relates to campaigns and elections in the United States. Selected course themes include political communication, participation, voting, and elections.

If this program fits your personal and professional goals, contact Ashford University at 866.711.1700 to learn more, or request additional information.